What Hangs in the Work/Life Balance

Chukat
Numbers 19:1 - 22:1

Précis: The parasha begins with a discussion of the Red Heifer, used for ritual purification after one comes into contact with a dead body. The story then shifts to the death of Miriam, and the mourning for her by the entire people in the wilderness of Zin. With her death, the well of water disappears, and Moses strikes a rock to provide water to the People. Soon thereafter, Aaron also dies, and the Israelites engage in warfare with the Canaanites in a series of battles which conclude the parasha.

Numbers 20:1-2 “The Israelites arrived in a body at the wilderness of Zin on the first new moon, and the people stayed at Kadesh. Miriam died there and was buried. The community was without water, and they joined against Moses and Aaron.”

Here we have the juxtaposition of two events: Miriam’s death and the people demanding assistance from Moses and Aaron. We can observe, from the perspective of Moses and Aaron, an early example of what today we call the “life balance” issue. Moses and Aaron can’t mourn for their sister – the People need water.

Some would say that the increasingly complex work environment, coupled with pressures to perform for companies or organizations which are ever more “bottom-line” driven, make our lives more difficult and certainly more stressful. Things which we assumed would make our lives “easier” have, in fact, increased the reach of work into the dwindling amount of “free time” or “family time” we actually have (cell phones, email, etc. etc.) We are pressured to respond to the demands of work on a 24/7 basis. Our current economic uncertainty has only added to this sense of pressure.

For a Jewish professional, the convergence between work place demands and a private life is one of the most difficult aspects of the career choice we make. There is an inevitable conflict between personal needs and communal responsibility. Moses and Aaron were denied the time to grieve over their sister’s death; the People demanded that their needs be immediately addressed. While such a stark contrast may not happen often in our own lives, nevertheless we are constantly faced with choices. Do we sacrifice a child’s recital to attend a board meeting? Do we miss the family dinner because we can “get some stuff done” at the office when “nobody is around.” Is our vacation with a spouse interrupted by emails and text messages from work? Does the ringing of the phone get in the way of our own study or prayer?

A Jewish professional must learn to take care of his or her personal needs, be they individual or familial, if the professional is going to be able to support the community. Hillel wisely stated, “If I am not for myself, who is for me?”